Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-21
An Odd Character.

3 y. ".
nett, who was sent TO the city hospital
late one evening recently by DR.. Priest.
4 He is well advanced toward the al
loted foUr-scOre years and ten. and is
now broken in spirit and physique.
For sixteen years he was resident of
| Honolulu, and only recently returned
to his own country. He Is now in that
condition which is technically termed
ION his upFers.' but, although the
drafts on his pocket arr protested his
fund of information is still replete.
/ Il first went To the Sandwich Islands
for my health said the major 'In
1851 l started across the plains to Cali
fornia, and while on top 81 She Sierra
Nevada mountains [ was caught in
snow-storm that came near eAeling my
life. When ,rescsed | could got speak,
and us result sustained a severe
paralytic stroke. After stopping in
Frisco several years went 10 the
Sandwich Islands,. bua only stopped a
short time. | retusned TO Hoao4ulu in
1865, and among my fellow-passengers
on the steamer was Sam Clemens, who
had already gained reputation on the
coast as a humorist. He was then
writing for the Ait0 California and the
Sacramento Union HE was about 80
years of age, and rs Jolly fellow as
you ever saw, brimful of funny stories
which he was continually telling. and
whenever he heard funny one he
frozc to it, dressed it up, and TOLD it in
better style than he heard il.
1.-The women could shut him up.
though. He was what I'd call bash
full man, and whenever a lady appeared
near him he was as dumb as an oyster.
If the female intruded in the middle of
a yarn he shut up and sneaked off when
he found a good opportunity. Twairi
only stopped on the islands short
time, but be had many experiences that
he did not publish. Tho native girls
had great fun with him bathing in the
surf, and one time came near drown
ing him. Mark was fair swimmer,
but no one except native could swim
in the heavy surf that rolls on the
beaches. They used to make the bath
more agreeable by securing .. board
about four feet long on which they sup,
ported themselves. he went out ON a
board with bevy OF bathers one day,
among whom were half dozen native
girls Ia years of age. They splashed.
tlucked. and thumped him until the
breath was out of his body, and he was
dragged on the beach unconscious.
Then he WAS stood or his head, lifted
up, and dropped like a pile-driver until
the water was supposed to Ne ont of
him. He revived under treatment but
didn't see tie joke, and afterward re-
frlIed % t.,e girls as devils. he visited
the volcanoes, made canoe voyages
around the island, tried to make some
OF the saya,es laugh at his antics, and
then returned to Frisco.
"What is the native population OF
the islands n0w?''
Give years ago it was 5000, and
the former population was $4,000.
Notwithstanding the glowing reports
sent by the missionaries from the
island, Christianity is failure The
natives have become so debased and de
graded by foreign contact that inn
morality is natural with them. Dis
ease, IepruSy, and opium have entirely
decin..Ie,, the race. Two Cinnamon in
Honolulu pay i license Of $4,000 each
per annum for tie privilege of selling
opiari.'
Were you acquainted with Claus
spreckels?
..}vas |? Well. / sh@trld say so.
When first went to Frisco il 1851 he
was keeping gin-mill with u board
resting Oh tHo barrels TOT counter.
IS ncu / went 10 Hono,alu he was there
again dealing ia liqaor i'll small way.
lie n,ado money, bought up plantations
cheap, and soon owned half the island.
Tie is now worth nearly 500, 100000,
and controls the sugar trade of the
United states.
81 started in the stationery business,
but the public would not read. tried
to make them, and started weekly,
the files of which you see over there.
l published this tge years, doing most
of the writing myself. but finally it went
under in 1874 / returned to this conn-
try four years ago, and when l got
broke began to lecture. The eiysipe-
las got hold of me, and here am"
The major has not lectured under the
auspices Of any bureau. but catches the
public eYe with a small handhill bear
ing the following:
maj. 6. G. Bennett. the extensive
traveller and renowned historian, and
for sixteen years d resident of tho.
Sandwich Islands, will give one of bis
intensely instructive and deeply inter
esting lectures on the subject of Life
in the Sandwich Islands, Mention
will be made of the origin OF the
Hawaiian race, their discovery, over.